Israel, much like the fortress of Tel-Chai that Jospeh Trumpeldor fought to defend against Arab conquerors in 1920, finds itself beseiged by enemies both within and without. Terrorists, would-be friends inside and outside Israel, and even bad government officials. Here are the discussions of one proud Zionist resident on the state of the nation and abroad.

Friday, February 26, 2016

Haredis in Beit Shemesh riot over job fair

Dozens of ultra-Orthodox protesters clashed with police in Beit Shemesh on Wednesday during a protest against a municipality-sponsored job fair aimed at integrating members of the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) community into the economy, though it didn’t significantly deter turnout at the event.

With cries of “gevalt” and carrying signs bemoaning the “destruction” of Judaism, the black clad protesters attempted to block the road outside of the community center where the event was taking place, screaming epithets at passing women and calling riot policemen, who held them back “murderers” and “Nazis.”

Mounted policemen circled the screaming protesters, pushing them back as officers on foot tussled with stragglers. As two policemen pulled one of the protesters into the back of a police car, one of his compatriots rushed forward and was told by an officer to “act like a man and not a beast.”

Beit Shemesh’s extreme haredi fringe had been working to stop the event for several days, putting up posters claiming that all of the city’s rabbis were united against it and even claiming that they had been successful in doing so.

According to Shopping Mekomi, a local news outlet, while the city did not cave to pressure, several figures affiliated with the municipality withdrew their participation from the event as opposition mounted.

“It is only permitted to work in a kosher way,” one of the demonstrators told The Jerusalem Post as he and several other stragglers were ejected from the area by police.

The protester, who declined to give his name, said that the state wants to “uproot religion” and that anyone who goes to work in a secular office environment would eventually be transformed into a secular “gentleman” like the policeman pushing him down the street.

Inside the center, however, the mood was very different, with haredim, both hassidic and “Lithuanian” mingling among corporate recruiters and tables offering job counseling, educational opportunities and help with resumes.

One of the organizers of the event, who also declined to provide his name, said that he did not believe that some people may have been tricked into staying home because of the disinformation campaign, and that he did not think that one person was deterred from attending because of the violence.

Probably not. Nevertheless, the socialist bunch violently protesting this is a disgrace, and it'd be a lot better if they just left the country. This is a very positive development, and Haredis going to work are helping themselves as much as the rest of Israel.

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About me

I'm Avi Green

From Jerusalem, Israel

I was born in Pennsylvania in 1974, and moved to Israel in 1983. I also enjoyed reading a lot of comics when I was young, the first being Fantastic Four. I maintain a strong belief in the public's right to knowledge and accuracy in facts. I like to think of myself as a conservative-style version of Clark Kent. I don't expect to be perfect at the job, but I do my best.